West Ham United manager Avram Grant has conducted his pre-match press conference ahead of Saturday's opening home Barclays Premier League fixture of the season against Bolton Wanderers.
The new boss is expecting an entertaining yet testing game from Owen Coyle's team. Meanwhile, Grant also offered his views on the transfer window, Benni McCarthy and players using iPods in the hours before matches.
Avram on his first competitive game in charge at the Boleyn Ground...
"I think it's exciting. The challenge at West Ham is exciting and is the reason I came here. We want to take the club - not just the team because the club is the most important thing - forward.
"Everybody likes to play at home in front of their supporters and they were great in the last game [at Aston Villa]. I must say that, even though we didn't play so well, the fans sang until the last minute. We will try our best to help them to support us all through the season."
Avram on Bolton Wanderers...
"It's very simple. We didn't win at Aston Villa and we didn't play well but it belongs to the past. We are looking forward to the rest of the season. Tomorrow we have a game at home against a very, very good team. I think Bolton have changed their style over the past year but of course we want to win.
"The record [of six consecutive defeats by Bolton] belongs to the past and I hope it will remain as a statistic. They are a very good team. They play good football and don't play like they did before. They are trying to be different and they are doing very well. They were very impressive last year."
Avram on team news...
"Thomas Hitzlsperger and Valon Behrami are probably not fit."
Avram on matches against Manchester United and Chelsea coming up...
"We always only think about the next game, not what is happening after. Of course we don't have easy fixtures but we cannot change it and will try to take it as a challenge. It is a big challenge for us."
Avram on the transfer window...
"I hope we will be busy because we want the squad to be stronger. We came here to make the new season and the next seasons better than before, so to do this we need players because we don't have a few players for some positions and we need competition. We'll try to do it.
"But, the resources of the club and the financial situation is not so good so we have to think about this also."
Avram on loan signings...
"We didn't take any players only on loan - we only took them on loan with an option [to buy]. We don't want to think about West Ham only for the next year. It won't be an easy year but we believe it will be a good year. We don't want to take players for loan because we don't want to only think about the next season."
Avram on transfer speculation...
"Many players are being linked to many clubs, including many being linked to West Ham, but we don't want to speak about any player before we did something."
Avram on important players staying...
"I cannot guarantee to you that the squad you see today will all stay. Ninety per cent of them will stay and Matthew Upson is in that 90 per cent who will stay here. We like him, he's good for us and a good captain and he will stay. Scott Parker will play tomorrow and will be in West Ham in the next years."
Avram on Benni McCarthy
"I'm not a nutritionist, I'm only a manager! He lost the kilo of weight this week and is on the right way. I expect him to be fit as soon as he can be. He's a good player and the important thing is that he is trying and I expect him to try harder next week.
"I think and I hope our target for his return is after the international break."
Avram on players using iPods
"I think they can do whatever they want if they feel it will make them more prepared for the game. To listen to music before the game in dead time before the game, because everything is prepared in the week before, is OK. If they feel good with the music for me it's OK. I have an iPod but I'm not listening to music before the game!"